Blogs

In the Kurt Warner years, a fullback wasn’t featured much of the time on offense, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t used. (I have to say, I had a soft spot in my heart for old I-45 a couple years ago — Terrelle Smith). Smith was gone in 2009, opening the spot for another veteran Dan Kreider. Krieder too is gone and the Cards are searching for his replacement.

They may have added him while Kreider was still on the roster. The team signed Nehemiah Broughton in January off the practice squad of the New York Giants, right after the regular season ended but while the Cards were still practicing (and would be for another two weeks). That was good enough to convince the Cards to keep him around.

“It’s a position that is hard to find guys,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “Nehemiah has good size (at 6-foot, 255 pounds) and is very athletic. He came in and worked hard for us. I am excited to see how he develops because obviously, it’s a position where we need someone to do it. You are looking for someone to step up and he’s got a little bit of a leg up because of the work he did with us last season.”

Right now, fullback is one of the positions difficult to evaluate. That spot hits, and no one is hitting in shorts. Whisenhunt said the goal-line drills in Flagstaff are one of the proving grounds for those players. “I would like to see what happens in games, what happens in training camp when the pads go on,” Whisenhunt said

Broughton took almost all the reps in minicamp because Reagan Maui’a was hurt. Afterward, the Cards also brought in Charles Ali, who had been with the Browns most recently. The Cardinals figure to need a quality fullback, given the retirement of Kurt Warner and the assumed increase in the running game.

“I just want to play football and make this ballclub,” Broughton said. “Coaches make those decisions. … But I am very confident in my abilities.”

Wearing Edge’s old number, eh? Hopefully, he get at least half the YPC that James got.
With Broughton and Andre Roberts coming from the Citadel 3 years apart, did they know each other? Did Nehemiah help recruit Roberts?

The team goes to camp with three full offensive lines and three fullbacks. Ali, Broughton, and Maui’a are very different and all three look powerful. I-45 was quick and hit hard – sometimes he missed the hole, but he was a great fullback. Kreider never missed the hole and never missed his man – and it just looked like he was out of gas through injury at the end of the season after he gave his all. I’m always partial to Polynesians and I remember last pre-season, Maui’a was lighting people up. Mr. Graves had enough confidence in Broughton and Maui’a that they didn’t spend a draft choice on the position. I think we can get ready for Beanie Ball.